At Brook Farm Inn, we’re always interested in literary links to the original Brook Farm, for which the inn was named.  Brook Farm was a utopian farm experiment — the original hippie commune, perhaps — that was founded by the Transcendentalists in the 1840’s.   Hawthorne, Emerson, Margaret Fuller, and other famous intellectuals of the era were involved.  Nathaniel Hawthorne immortalized the farm in The Blithedale Romance, a fictionalized account .  (You’ll find a copy in each of our guest rooms.) The photo shows how the site looks today, in what is now West Roxbury.

This summer, The Mount is presenting a series of literary lectures, Mondays at 4 PM.  They all sound fascinating.  The one that connects most to Brook Farm is the lecture  about Eden’s Outcasts, a dual biography of Louisa May Alcott and her father, Bronson Alcott.  Although not involved with Brook Farm, they were part of the Transcendentalist community, and their lives were fascinating.   We recommend the book, and the lecture!

We went to see “April in Paris,” at the Mixed Company Theater in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, and loved every minute.  This is a great comedy, and it’s being performed every Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday through May 24th.  At $15 a ticket, this performance  matches many Broadway plays that cost a great deal more.  At Brook Farm Inn in Lenox, we’re recommending it to all our guests.  Phone number for tickets is $413-528-2320.

Shakespeare & Co.,  in Lenox, right around the corner from Brook Farm Inn, has announced its program for the ‘09 season.  Wow! It will be the longest season ever — May 27 through March 14, 2010.  There are two theaters on the Shakespeare campus, plus the outdoor theater, and the program has something for everyone. Hamlet, Othello, Twelfth Night, Romeo and Juliet.  Then there are contemporary plays:  Shirley Valentine, Golda’s Balcony and more.  We can’t wait to take our grandchildren to “Toad of Toad Hall” at the Outdoor Bankside Festival. Go to the website www.shakespeare.org for  full information and tickets.

He may have left his heart in San Francisco, but the rest of his body is coming to Lenox, Massachusetts this summer.  On Tuesday July 21 at 8:00pm in the Koussevitzky Music Shed,  Tony will bring his legendary musical talents to the Berkshires.  Tickets will go on sale February 15.   You can link to The Boston Symphony Orchestra to reserve yours.  Rooms are available at Brook Farm Inn subject to a minimum stay.

The annual Stockbridge, Massachusetts “Main Street At Christmas” event will be December 6 & 7.  Main Street will be decorated to look like a Norman Rockwell painting, and special events through the weekend will take place.  Brook Farm Inn in Lenox is only 5 minutes from there. so join us for a memorable weekend!

Local Playwright Joan Ackerman Appears at the Lenox Library on Sunday,

We’re well aware of the news that’s making everyone feel stressed these days, so here’s important information.

Brook Farm Inn, in Lenox Massachusetts, is glad to join with the other inns of Berkshire Elegant Country Inns to offer our guests a special hike.  We’ve engaged a professional guide for two Saturdays, November 1 and November 15.  On each of those days, you can join other guests for a guided hike through some of the most beautiful Berkshires scenery.  The hikes will be moderate, from 11 AM to 1 PM.  Not only will we provide the guide, but we’ll also make sure you have snacks.  When you phone Brook Farm Inn for your reservation, tell us you’re interested.